Sawing ~ Filing ~ Fabrication
One of the projects that would be listed under the topic of sawing and filing
is making a Pallet Warmer
This is a project the students make in the Watchmaking Program at the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology in Paris,Texas. It starts with a blueprint but allows for some creativity in the final product.
As you can see from the photo some interesting ideas take shape that personalize the project.
Specific items covered during the process begin with
* Reading and understanding a blueprint.
* Laying out the project on a brass sheet.
* Sawing the project to the outline.
* Filing and finishing the edges of the parts.
* Polishing.
The drawing of the lever and the mainframe are cut from the blueprint and attached to a brass sheet with melted bees wax to hold
the outline of the piece and to provide lubrication for the saw blade as it cuts the brass.
The lever and mainframe are then cut out using a jewelers saw.
The lever must have a small hole in the end to clear a pallet arbor and so one must be drilled.
A small pivot drill is used to make the hole. The pivot drill should be about .20mm to .30mm in diameter.
A drill will be provided. If however... if the tallet is showing at this juncture the student will make the pivot drill.
More on tool making will be taken up during a later course section along with full use use of the lathe.
The fulcrum for the warmer must be turned on the watchmakers lathe and so
elementary introduction to the care and use of the lathe and the shaping of a graver sufficent to cut brass are covered
and the student will prepare a graver and turn the fulcrum. The fulcrum has a shoulder that
will be used to rivet it to the mainframe of the warmer. It will be sloted with a jewelers saw to accept the lever and drilled to accept a wire rivet to hold the lever in place.
Assembly :
The mainframe is drilled and broached to accept the shoulder of the fulcrum.
The fulcrum is then riveted into place and smoothed to a flat surface on the bottom of the mainframe.
The flatter and less conspicous the finished rivet the better.
Making a Coil Spring :
A coiled wire is then made to provide the spring action to the tool. Theroy for determining spring
diameters and wire stock size used to make the spring are covered. The student will then make the coil spring and install it. They do not have to use a coil spring so some people come up with other ways to provide the spring action like the flat spring used in the "Martini Glass" example. This tool used a piece of white alloy mainspring attached with a screw. The 'Olive' was an artistic touch and like in a great Martini, the Olive makes it seem all the more complete. Cheers !!
This is a pleasing project and covers a number of different aspects of metal work.
To top it all off it has a daily function at the watch bench when completed. We have been making these at TIJT for about 20 years now.
Photography and Website Production by Frank W. Poye CW
2003 ~ 2004
